Recently I was in attendance of our quarterly meeting for progress for the new Americorps VISTA program that started for the Ability Alliance of West Alabama back in September of 2009. The success factors are as follows for Americorps VISTA members and they are: on-site orientation, community outreach, community volunteer/recruitment, effective volunteer engagement, resource mapping, resource development/fundraising, grant writing, organizational development, performance measures(number of VISTAs), tracking systems, information technology, development on-site orientations and training plans, and orientation to developmental disability services.
The quarterly meeting was held on April 13th, 2010 and went over the progress of the Americorps VISTA members as of current times. There has been success in the recruitment of two new Americorps VISTA members in which one of the two new members has already begun orientation and the second member will start in mid May. This goes along with our performance measures amongst our quarterly progress reporting and training plans. Also during the first quarter of 2010 we have identified 36 clients that are seeking and ready to become employed in the job sector in both Bibb and Pickens County with our new supported employment case manager. I have been working on resource mapping with the new supported employment case manager as of February of 2010 and we are actively seeking employment for the 36 clients that we have identified as needing employment.
Employment was a major focus of the Ability Alliance's of the past quarter because of our new grant from Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the purpose of supported employment in Bibb, Tuscaloosa, and Pickens Counties. The focus being on Bibb and Pickens Counties. One of the main purposes for Americorps VISTA members for the Ability Alliance of West Alabama was to help build resources and partnerships for employment with businesses in Bibb and Pickens Counties. Also to develop volunteering opportunities amongst these counties as well to foster community and relationships for our clients in these counties. Volunteerism and job development will help uplift our clients and bring to them a higher quality of life as opposed to if they did not have employment and did not participate in volunteering activities.
Employment and volunteerism efforts are of strong importance yet the Ability Alliance of West Alabama has also benefited from 9 new partnerships since the inception of the Americorps VISTA program for the AAWA. The 9 new parterships are: 1. The Children's Policy Council and Juvenile Court Judges 2. Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 3. Alabama Department of Mental Health 4. Tuscaloosa Mental Health Task Force 5. Self Advocates Becoming Empowered 6. Tuscaloosa Emergency Services 7. Indian Rivers Mental Health Center 8. People First of Alabama and 9. Tuscaloosa One Place. The outcomes and or benefits of these partnerships for this quarter have been an employment supports grant, coordination support for the Children's Policy Council by the VISTA Volunteer, contributions to the cost sharing VISTA volunteers from Indian Rivers, Alabama Department of of Rehabilitation Services, Arc of Tuscaloosa, and People First of Alabama. Also an application for technical assistance grant from the Governor's Office on Faith Based Community Services. Also our employment grant as previously mentioned above will help us to sustain and maintain our strong commitment to our clients to increase job opportunity along with the support of job training from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Overall the Americorps VISTA program has been a success thus far and will continue hopefully for its three year grant duration.
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